Category: Grumpy Old Men

Our October visit was to the business of W.W.Winter in Derby. Unknown to all of
us until recently, Winters are the oldest photographic business in the country,
and possibly the world, having been established in 1852. They have been in the
same premises on Midland Road, near Derby train station, since 1867.

We heard about the origins of the business, at a time when photographic
studios could be found in many towns and cities. Their business covered all
types of photography, from family portraits to commercial businesses, and at
one time they had a contract to photograph all the premises of Derby Co-op.

They are supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and hope to establish a Trust
so that the premises survive and become a centre for education about
photography. Much building work is needed, and we were told that the building
is very cold in the winter; there is quite a lot of hardboard partitioning probably
dating from the 1960s, and some very impressive cast iron decorated radiators.
There is more information about Winters on their website, and they also have
videos on YouTube.

As is customary, the Grumpies then retired for lunch, to the Brunswick Inn
nearby. The building is next to several streets of railway cottages, built to house
railway workers in the 1840s.

John Tedstone

After a last-minute cancellation of our booking by the Museum, which had postponed our originally planned visit, our intrepid members finally made it to Yorkshire in early June.

The Museum is built around what had been a working pit in the Yorkshire coalfield, between Wakefield and Huddersfield. There was less grumpiness when we realized that, as a National Museum, entry is free, but we did take part in an underground tour, for which there is a donation.

The museum is staffed mainly by volunteers who all worked in mining before retirement, there being no substitute for hands-on experience. A degree of fitness is needed for the underground tour, and along the route we passed a large amount of abandoned machinery, left as it was on the day the pit closed.

Another interesting visit, and the motorway was running well on the day of our visit. There are a lot of interesting buildings and displays to see, and the museum is worth more than one visit.

On the way, we passed the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, also well worth a visit. This is a huge site, with outdoor sculptures by famous artists such as Henry Moore and also short-term exhibitions.

In our continuing spirit of enquiry, some of our Grumpy Old Men recently set off for Lichfield, which one of our number is familiar with from his working life.

We started off with coffee in a very convenient cafe next to the Cathedral, then we had a self-guided tour around the Cathedral itself, a gothic masterpiece which dates back to the 13^th century. Lichfield changed sides twice during the English Civil War, with consequent damage to the building.

The Cathedral subsequently underwent significant restoration by Sir Gilbert Scott in the 19th Century. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires and is the only cathedral in the UK to have been fortified with walls and a moat, traces of which remain in the surrounding landscape today.

We then set out on a walk around the centre of the town to see more historic sights, plus the local Wetherspoons for lunch.

For their March visit, the Grumpy Old Men set off for North Nottinghamshire, to the Holocaust Visitor Centre at Laxton.

This was a thought-provoking visit – we started off with a video presentation and after a coffee break, went on to the main exhibition, which is set out in the form of a long underground tunnel. We then heard the testimony of a holocaust survivor, who was born in Holland in 1943. In keeping with the times, this was via Zoom on a large screen. There were several large groups of schoolchildren visiting who were also listening, and they were joined remotely by a school in Torquay.

There was a lot to take in, and more than one visit is really needed to do justice to the centre. We were told that funding is available to enhance the museum further in the near future; although the start of the exhibition is accessed by stairs down, a full disabled access lift is available to visitors.

John Tedstone

Nine of our Grumpy Old Men have recently visited Cromford Mill, situated near the edge of Cromford village, and the northern end of the old Cromford canal.

We had booked a guide who showed us round the exhibition and buildings, and we also watched the virtual Sir Richard Arkwright telling us about how he started off in Lancashire as a barber/surgeon and wig-maker! Over 20 years or so, he built the mills at Cromford and developed the frame and spinning machines, which were powered by water.

The patents which he took out were a good money-earner in addition to the actual work output at the mills. He also built accommodation for the workers in Cromford and claimed that he was able to pay off the national debt due to his success. Workers arriving late at the start of the 12-hour shift were locked out for the day, but by the standards of the day and compared to the local alternative of lead mining, it could be argued that there were worse ways of earning a living in the late 1700s.

An interesting visit, and worth a short drive into Derbyshire. As is customary, the Grumpies then retired for lunch, to the Excavator pub near Ambergate.

Our next visit is to the Holocaust Visitor Centre at Laxton, on 24^th March.